- Date
- April 7, 1985, 11:14 local (19:14 UTC)
- Place
- Sunnyside, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N4379ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850407011619A
- Case key
- 40038
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed after colliding with electrical power lines near an open field. Initial impact with the power lines occurred where the wires were routed over a draw between 2 ridges. The acft came to rest inverted between the power lines & the open field. The acft was relatively intact with extensive ground impact damage to the left wing & compression & twisting to the rear fuselage. There was heavy scrape marks on the left main gear. The prop showed no rotational marks or damage. The left fuel cap was off & some fuel was remaining in the rear corner. The right fuel cap was in place. The carb heat control was wedged in the on/hot position. The connecting wires to the starter switch were found corroded at the attach screws, they were partly separated & the case was broken. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4379Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8701
- Airframe hours
- 2,016
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry G. Anderson, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 1984 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- S40 · Prosser, WA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YKN, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4379Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.